Sticky Pecan Buns

He Who Must Not Necessarily Be Obeyed bought me a KitchenAid. So he is being obeyed for a wee while, which means I downloaded the Food Network's recipe for Joanne Chang's Sticky Buns. After all, they won against Bobby Flay's in a throwdown. And as a first-time bun baker, I thought I'd have a go at perhaps the trickiest dough there is. Paradise reached in one! The photo is of that key moment before they went into the oven, demonstrating that despite all the goo they were sitting in and my lack of faith, they did rise again. (Besides, when I took the photo of when they came out, it was as dark as the buns. Want do you want? I have to learn to conquer a KitchenAid, a brioche recipe and camera all at once?)

1 recipe Brioche dough, recipe follows
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Goo, recipe follows

On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche. Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick. Spread the Goo on the bottom of a roasting pan and place buns evenly spaced in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.

Brioche Dough:
2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-ounce yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
5 eggs
11 ounces butter, softened

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.
Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.
Place in a container and cover well.
Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Shape, cover, proof for several hours at warm room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Goo:
1/2 pound butter
15 ounces brown sugar
5 ounces honey
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup water
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water. Set aside.

Novice baker obsersation: I couldn't find any high-gluten flour. So I bought bread flour at the Giant (perhaps that's what the recipe meant) and in Whole Foods bought a box of Arrowhead Mills' Vital Wheat Gluten, adding 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour.

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